The journey to the promised land: new evidence from operation “

Not only is our ב”שמות” North Africa to Israel: on the day the air force lifted a convoy of 27 huge jets of breaking world records, to bring thousands of Jews to their homeland’s history

תאריך: 27/03/2013, 14:08 מחבר: יפתח כרמלי, אתר צה”ל

Darkness descended on the airport in Addis Ababa, and the Hercules. Red light plane erupted, and the noise that pumped warm air screws, all came together into a surreal image, and dummy aircraft for fire dragon’s mouth-crunching. Into the mechanical Monster claimed the Jew, Ethiopia, March. “The initial reaction was, of course, escape, and fighters had fish to catch them and carry them on their shoulders into the plane, several IDF website as Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Amir nachumi. About what sounds like a nightmarish spectacle, but it took him to get draconian crater rising was supposed to bring them eventually to the land of Israel, and thus end one of the largest air operations in the history of the State of Israel: ” operation Solomon.

Currently, about 22 years after the operation, tells Passover who was commander of the air portion In operation, this version of journey to the promised land, from the perspective of Air force; Operational requirements, cooperation between intelligence agencies and the massive airlift over the Red Sea.

Years of work in uncertainty

The purpose of “operation Solomon” was raising a 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel, with the participation of 24 transport planes of the Israeli air force Hercules aircraft 18 and six Boeing 707.Another strength of the air force who took part in the operation was composed of shaldag fighters ‘ unit, which accompanies a security forces operation, along with the people, the Jewish Agency, and the intelligence and special functions.

The operation officially began may 24, 1991, but the story starts long before that in 1984, a series of actions known as ‘ operation Moses. During operation that the Ethiopian Jewish Community air ב’רכבת to Israel, refugee camps in Sudan, after long hiking East of the Ethiopian community. Due to the lack of formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Sudan, Sudan’s Islamic State, kept the operation a secret thing and shdelf releases in January 1985, discontinued, leaving about 15,000 Jews in Ethiopia and Sudan.

After resuming relations between Ethiopia, Ethiopian Jews to Israel. At the same time enrolled in the military tightening ties between the two countries; Israel supplied arms and ammunition to Ethiopia, the IDF sent military advisers to the presidential guard and IDF officers were working with Ethiopian commando units.

A c-130. 18 data were used in the airlift operation complex. Photo Archive: air force

The agreement about the Jews of Ethiopia signed between countries and the transfer about 500 Jews per month to Israel. However, in early 1991, the reality of other requirements. The friendly regime in Ethiopia began to disintegrate, and the need for an air operation to get the Ethiopian Jewish community extensively.

“In 1989, when I got my job as head, talked about the possibility and necessity of air operation, Brig. Gen. (Ret) Amir nachumi. The talking and planning began to become reality at an accelerated rate as of March 14, 1991, then began the construction of ‘ planning ‘ shell operation, air force headquarters bkriia. The design team included intelligence officers, אג”ם, air force officers, transport squadrons that participated in the operation, the Mossad, the Foreign Ministry, the Jewish Agency and JDC. The officers worked in uncertainty as they depend on geopolitical factors to be confirmed To train for the complex aircraft. On the 23rd, with Ethiopian President and replacing it with a general, amplifying tpsai keidan, which gave the green light to the operation, the operation. It describes the general operation nachumi

“We will restore order in Addis-Ababa. We came to bring Jews to Israel

On the night of May 23rd we wire run. The set time was noon the next day. To do this we had to play almost all of the air force’s transport, assisted by company aircraft. Flight operation is determined on the basis of the international waterway through the Center. We coordinate, at by the United States, with the countries along the length of the path in order to prevent a threat to the railway.

Duration of planned stay on track in Addis Ababa was unclear and therefore it was decided that the idemimo that no planes after landing. We won’t be able to refuel on Ethiopia, and fueled for the way back. In an emergency the option to refuel in Kenya.

The plan included the concentration of Jews in Israel Embassy in Addis Ababa, and sends them on rounds of buses towards the airport, 3.5 km away from the Embassy. Power Of 100 fighters in civilian clothes was supposed to share for a year, the power which transports between the Embassy to the airport, the security force action in the field of energy Embassy security. There was also a small medical and power in a special intervention force nominee In case a rescue is required. Transport to the field was supposed to be done, and therefore Many buses were at the Embassy, and they escort squads and are less soldier IDF one Ethiopian. The intention was that buses will travel on dirt roads and avoid meeting with PLO representatives in Addis-Abeba and the directive was to avoid as much as possible.

חיה”א base Lod were all causes of action, including the transport squadrons, a maintenance Squadron, a squadron, the loading unit and the armed forces. A final briefing before departure, said who was then Deputy Chief of staff and Commander of the operation and later Chief of staff, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak said: “we are not going to conquer Ethiopia, nor to impose law and order in Addis-Ababa. We’re going to bring down all the Jews who are currently in Addis-Abeba.

Dated ה”קרנף” on Friday the 24th, 5 a.m., and the Rabbi claimed the planes at the airport in Addis. The two “RAM” which took off later, command personnel were led by Deputy Chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, and Lod base, Brig. Gen. (Ret) collected Agmon.At about 10:30 a.m. Landed in Addis and the accelerated effort began. The equipment is unpacked and assembled near the planes, deployed fighters and their assignments and positions.

Later came the two Rams with all brashot game headquarters. After a brief evaluation was clear that everything is ready and can signal the fastest network throughout Addis Ababa. Thousands of Jews began to flock from around the city. At 12 noon, an hour before the scheduled time of its departure of the first flight, already had 5,000 Embassy. They come in small groups and display their identification cards, which received in advance from the Embassy in early registration process. They moved Initial sort order then each sticker pasted on his forehead with the bus number on it was supposed to go.

“Zero accidents and malfunctions.”

At one point created at the Embassy “traffic” was a gathering mass of Ethiopian citizens, which created quite a few delays in the arrival rate of immigrants planned to field, and the times mirror rejected two and a half hours.On 12:56 PM ה”ראם came from the first plane with 400 passengers, landed in Israel close to five o’clock on Friday evening. The first immigrants received in router Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and many Ministers. After that plane continued to fly planes in a row when at one time, in one of the highlights of the sale, 27 planes were in the air simultaneously on air train in Israel Addis.

When placing the first ה”ג’מבו it became clear to us that we cannot run from the field of 747 Due to their size. The plane remained on the runway and passengers loaded about 1,078 world record the amount passengers on one plane.

At 5:30 a.m. of Saturday, 25/5, about 1,000 left in the Embassy until the a.m. have already landed more than 10,000 immigrants at Ben Gurion Airport on Saturday morning at 11 am, the Embassy reported that their emergency procedure ends and the immigrants. Among the planes that land at the airport, was also a one of the Ethiopian Airlines – “את’יופיאן Airlines”, which brought also cost upon request of the authorities in Addis. On Saturday morning may 25, Abeba, Addis-Abeba took the last plane in the air.

This is an operation that lasted 36 hours, a total of 30 aircraft, 366 flight hours, 41 flights to Addis Ababa, and about 15,000 Jewish immigrants From Ethiopia. It was one of the longest and most complex operations in air force history. And transportation. Although a minority and want data, although many variables, in an extraordinary way, with zero accidents and breakdowns, and we All our goals fully. The feeling during and after operation, there was a sense of life saving. It was a feeling shared by all participants in the operation, which United all under one end.